Doral Academy Business Program Awarded by State Farm Insurance Financial Literacy Grant of $25,000

On October 29th, 2012 Public Affairs Specialist Mr. Jose Soto and Representative Mr. Jeremy L. Garcia, as members of the State Farm Youth Advisory Board, awarded Doral Academy Charter Preparatory School with a $25,000 grant for their Financial Literacy classes. This award is a very important recognition that State Farm gives to outstanding programs that “promote experiential learning and give students an opportunity to apply what they are learning in the classroom to real problem-solving involvement in their communities with an impact in their achievement and civic responsibility.” Doral Mayor Juan Carlos Bermudez, Principal Douglas Rodriguez, faculty and close to a hundred students gathered at the grant award presentation as well.

Principal Rodriguez took time to express kind words of recognition to Doral Mayor Juan Carlos Bermudez for his excellent leadership; commitment and friendship during the last 8 years of service in the City. He also thanked Mayor Bermudez for his interest in the academic development of the Doral School System which has been rated “A” for several years. Talking about this financial program, Mr. Rodriguez highlighted the importance of quality education, not only in the classrooms but in the “real world”. For example, Doral Academy students will now have the opportunity to get practical leadership and practical experiences in the field of business thanks to the internship program that is being offered to senior students in Doral businesses and the City of Doral.

Mayor Bermudez had the opportunity to address the students on the importance of entrepreneurship and their future in a global, competitive economy. It has been his goal as Mayor to work together with principals in the Doral area to include Financial Literacy classes at the high school level as a way to give the students the necessary experiences early in life, especially those who want to pursue a career with a business track. He also understands that this success is real because of the hard work of many “teachers, parents, PTA organizations, and committed students that get involved and work for their goals.” That’s why he personally thanked all of them for their contribution and encouraged them to continue to be as successful as they are now because “this won’t be the only school with this program. Many others will try to copy the fantastic job done here.”

As it was later explained by Mr. Soto, what makes this program so interesting is that young people; thirty students, to be more specific, ages 17-20, from across the United States are the ones who evaluate each project and each initiative, and “they are responsible for making a decision on which projects, nonprofit organizations and schools are the best to be recognized with this great award.” This grant is also a very memorable recognition for this community: “We received close to 969 applications nationwide this year: 68 were approved and 11 came from Florida but Doral Academy Charter Preparatory School was the only High School in the whole State of Florida to receive the State Farm Youth Advisory Board Grant and this is the first of its kind,” added Mr. Soto at the time the huge check was given to the school.

The Firebird Nest Project, as this financial literacyprogram is called, was first conceived at Doral Academy in order for students to understand the responsibilities of managing money and making smart financial decisions. Students in the Advanced Algebra/Financial Applications class had a very active role in the development of the program and they are the ultimate winners of this award. Not only a major component of their grade will be based on the successful implementation and maintenance of a profitable in-school business but also, they are expected to inspire other young students to follow a business-entrepreneur path.

Mr. Corazon, staff leader on this initiative, explained in detail what has been done so far and also introduced students Alexandra Montero, Melissa Campana and Melina Vargas who were called to represent the lead team as they shared their experiences: “This has been a great opportunity for all of us. We’ve learned key aspects about entrepreneurship, leadership and responsibility. We were the first ones to put together the whole idea, to count the money, to provide the service. We had a lot of pressure but ultimately, it’s being a great experience and it will be with us for the rest of our lives knowing that we left our footprint here and we will continue to grow”….”When we were introduced to this opportunity we had no idea that it would become what it is now, but thanks to this program we can now understand what future jobs we may have and what a regular job can demand: work ethic, responsibility, punctuality, everything that we may encounter in the business world. We can also provide for and serve our community. Based on what we were able to do in the past two years, who knows what we can do in the future.”

The event closed with a very emotional farewell to Mayor Bermudez who received a “Firebird Sweater” and promised to continue to be present offering his support “for the success of this program.”